Rest and exercising appliance for infants



Dec. 3, 1929. o. P. WELCH BEST AND EXERCISING APPLIANCE FOR INFANTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2. 1926 m n w Deicg 3, 1929'. o. P. WELCH I BEST AND EXERGISING APPLIANCE Fqn INFANTS Filed Feb. 2. 1926" 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented. Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES OLIVER P. WELGE, OF SAINT IGNACE, MICHIGAN BEST AND EXERGISING APPLIANCE FORJNFANTS Application filed Eebruary 2, 1926. Serial No. 85311.

This invention is an appliance designed and constructed on sanitary principles with the view of permitting an infant or child of F tender age to obtain certain desirable and well understood effects of a physiological nature, largely throu h its own efiorts, while at the same time, sa eguarding the infant. in

emergencies when it is unattended.

it is a well known fact that restless and m irritable infants are often soothed and quieted when turned face downward over the knees of the attendant and gently moved so as to induce more or less pressure on and action of the abdominal walls: While the eflectiveness of this treatment is universally recognized the treatment of course requires the services of an attendant or something of a corresponding nature. lt is the principal object of my invention an to provide a" rest and exercising appliance that'will do mechanically what has heretofore been done by the attendant, thus leaving j the latter free for other duties.

Another object is-to provide a, simple as convenient assemblage of means for carrying out the main inventive thought; said aso semblage embodying a main support or mat, an auxiliary support in the form of a body exercising lock or illow, both main and I so auxiliar supports being capable of inflation and de ation, and an inclosing guard also of the collapsible type; the assemblage, when not requiredfor use, being capable of folding into comparatively small compass.

One embodiment of the invention is illustra'ted in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure l is a perspective view of the assembly. I y

I Fig. 2 is a bottom, lan view, with the mat cover and mat partly. roken away to disclose the'internal organization. I I

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mat without the casing and partly broken to disclose details.

Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective of a portion of the mat structure. in inflatedxi tate.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the auxiliary support or body exerciser and its mode of attachment W to the main support.

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- According to my invention I provide a main floor support or mat element 1, constructed'of upper. andlower walls 2 and 3 of flexible material, such as, for example,

rubber or rubberized cloth or other fabric impervious to air. Rubber or equivalent waterproof material is preferred for sanitary reasons. The'm'at or main support 1 may be of any desired form, polygonal or circular. In the. example shown it is circular and in so that form a diameter of about six feet has been found satisfactory, as providing ample range when in use and a not too bulky package to be conveniently stowed when not in use.

The upper and lower walls 2 and 3 are joined by a marginal or edge wall 4 to define a hollow body approximately three inches deep, the wall 4 carrying any suitable valve element 5 whereby the mat may readily be iinfiated ordeflated. In orderto avoid a ballooning efiect under inflation, that is to sayto maintain the top and bottom walls relatively flat, the flexible partitions 6 are pro 'ded to tie said walls together. The ends f t e partitions terminate short of the marginal wall so as to establish intercommunicatin passages for the free circulation of air. %Evidently, while the mat is of general 7 'flat form, there will nevertheless be a someso I what corrugated form due to the distension of the top and bottom walls of the individual cells or passages in response to internal pressure.

The mam support or mat 1 being, as indis5 cated, a substantially flat structure from which the infant might roll, it is necessary or desirable to provide a suitable Stockade or inclosing element. It is also desirable that the guard shall be of'such nature as to follow out the general scheme of rest, comfort and exercise for the infant. Accordingly, I provide a ring-like guard which is disposed in abutting relation to the edge or rim of the mat. lhe guard is preferably a flexible tube as i three times the height or thickness of the mat, that is to say, with a mat threeinches thick, there is usually employed a guard nine inches in diameter. The annular guard snugly fits 5 the marginal wall of the mat, prevents the infant from rolling therefrom, and is soft and yielding so as to obviate any possible injury to the child in case of violent contact.

The mat and guard are preferably covered with suitable fabric to ensure proper sanitary conditions and to provide for different color schemes. I The removablemat cover or v casing'is indicated at 10, and the guard casing is indicated at 11. If desired, and as -preferred,fthe guard casing may be availed of to secure the guard to the mat, and detachable means for so securing the parts is indicated at 12.

An important feature ofthe invention is the v auxiliary support or exercising appliance,

whereby the infant may receive the body exercise for which the invention was devised. Thisauxiliary support or appliance is preferably the pillow 13, which, likewise, is of rubber or similar, fabric and capable of inflation and deflation. Its air valve is shown f at 14 and its sanitary casing at 15. The

" bular member.

pillow is removably secured to the mat by readily separable fastenings 16, of which there I are generally-four. Thus retained, the pillow simulates the knee of the attendant and when the infant is laid prone thereagainst, the movements of the infant, particularly its arm and 1e movements will move the upper surface 0 the mat 1, and through the cushionin action of the contained air, transmit suc movement to the pillow,witl1 thedesired effect of pressure and action of the abdominal walls and otherresults in accordance with well known physiological teachings,

Of course while the main purpose of the invention is to soothe or quiet restless and irritable infants without the necessity 'of direct handling, a. practice now frowned upon by the best authorities, it is, nevertheless, apparent that the device makes. an admirable play enclosure.

Having described my invention, I claim ing ap liance for infants, including a floor pad o the pneumatic type constructed to maintain an even thickness under inflation, an air rail of materially reater diameter than the thickness of the pa said rail being independent of the pad an secured to the edge thereof to avoid projection below the lower surface of the pad, and an independent inflatable cushion removably secured centrall of the upper surfaceof the pad.

2% A portable rest and exercisin appliance for infants, comprising a floor a including upper and lower walls and an e e wall, partitions connecting the upfier ant? lower walls, said pad being inflatable and held to even thickness under inflationby said partitions 1. A completely portable rest and exercis- 

